“I will miss seeing Nolan and his beautiful wife on the front row. He is a legend and my Ranger experience will not be quite the same.” — David, in an online comment on Ryan’s announcement (dallasnews.com, Thursday)

“The SEC tried to pull a fraud on America, and thankfully I live in a country where juries can decide these kinds of cases.” — Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, after his acquittal from federal charges of insider trading (The Dallas Morning News, Thursday)

“We’ve got to get out of the habit of governing by crisis.” — President Barack Obama, on a deal to reopen the government after a two-week shutdown (White House transcript, Wednesday)

“Concluding this crisis is historic, but let’s be honest. This was pain inflicted on the nation for no good reason.” — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, R-Nevada, on the shutdown and budget deal (The Washington Post, Thursday)

“We fought the good fight. We just didn’t win.” — House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, after the GOP caved in budget and health care talks (Fox News, Wednesday)

“If we continue down this path, we are really going to hurt the Republican Party long term.” — Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on hard-line GOP tactics (Time, Thursday)

“For the sake of her family, loved ones and all concerned, it is to my agonizing shame that I must confess to this terrible crime.” — Convicted killer William Frederick Happ, in a surprise confession to the 1986 rape-murder of Angela Crowley in Citrus County, Fla., as his last statement from Florida’s execution chamber; he was pronounced dead minutes later (The Sun Sentinel, Thursday)

“He needs to ask someone a lot more important than me for forgiveness.” — Chris Crowley, the victim’s older brother, after Happ’s execution (WUFT-TV, Wednesday)

“We are making history.” — Sharon Foster, chairwoman of the Washington Liquor Control Board, on new state rules on selling marijuana for recreational use beginning next year (The Associated Press, Wednesday)

“This election is about protecting you and your freedoms, which are given to you by God, but which are being trampled on by Barack Obama right now. I don’t know about you, but Barack Obama ought to be impeached.” — Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, to a Tarrant County tea party group (The Texas Observer, Tuesday)

“I am very strongly exercising my prerogative as a daughter to make sure my mom has this year to rest and reflect.” — Chelsea Clinton, on advice she’s giving her mother, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on the 2016 presidential race (The Hill, Thursday)

“If this is dying, I remember thinking, it’s not all that bad.” — From former Vice President Dick Cheney’s new book, ‘Heart: An American Medical Odyssey,’ about a near-death experience from heart disease (The New York Times, Thursday)